The Cold War era of arms build up in the US is over. Defense budgets are going to shrink massively, and we need to start nuclear disarmament. The then deputy defense secretary calls the CEOs of all the major prime defense contractors to a dinner in Washington at which he explicitly tells them defense spending is going to shrink hugely. He instructs the CEOs present that you all need to consolidate and start merging with one another. This doesn't happen in America. Literally a government agency just told an industry what to do. And indeed it was.
Today we bring you two absolutely incredible stories. The first is Lockheed’s legendary Skunk Works division — the elite team of aviation geniuses who produced some of the greatest airplanes in history: the U-2, the Stealth Fighter, and the incomparable SR-71 Blackbird. The second story is arguably even more important, but not widely known! It's the secret and true origins of Silicon Valley — and Lockheed’s primary role in it. We take you from WWII to the Cold War, all the way to today to unpack and analyze the industry dynamics of defense contractors in the modern era. Tune in and prepare to be blown away by what you’ll learn about the history of our industry!
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